Dear Sir or Madam

Please provide clarification on what the NIA do in order to prevent
the apparent religious privilege granted to MLA's, and the conflict
of religious views on equality and the celebration of diversity.

How does the NIA expect members of the public to be comfortable and
able to approach their MLA, when they are quoting religious
scriptures to validate intolerant and homophobic comments.

For example, how would the NIA and the First Minister react to a
gay MLA, who refused to support Christians due to their religious
views or Muslims due to the Quoran's intolerance of homosexuals.
The MLA would be expressing his views as a gay male, who is being
confronted with unstomachable comments made by certain persons of a
specific religion.

I look forward to your reply on this matter,

Yours Aye

Lord McDowall

Dear Sir or Madam

You are now in breach of the FOI timescales for reply.

If i do not receive a reply within 7 days, I will have no other
option other than to raise the matter with the Information
Commissioners Office.

Yours sincerely,

Lord McDowall

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Northern Ireland
Assembly's handling of my FOI request 'religious privilege and
equality in NI'.

My request is now over one month overdue and you are
now breaking the law. If I do not receive confirmation,
I will be left with no alternative than to go to the ICO.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/re...

Yours sincerely,

Lord McDowall

Dear Sir or Madam

This matter has been reported to the ICO. Ref TN67409.

Yours faithfully

Lord McDowall

Dear Sir or Madam

This is not acceptable. The email address quoted
on the NIA website is the same address held here,
these requests have been received and ignored.

I suggest this be dealt with.

Yours faithfully

Lord McDowall

Please see attached letter of response for the FOI submitted. This
response was forwarded on 20 February 2009 to an email address provided
to us by Lord McDowall on the 22 January (see attached email)

Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Northern Ireland Assembly

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